Behind the Name
by CrimsonClarity
Summary: Tyson and Ray have a discussion over Max's bit-beast. Humor fic, first attempt, and finally complete. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Behind the Name

Association: Beyblade

Pairings: None

Short Summary: Tyson and Ray have a discussion over Max's bit-beast. Humor fic, first attempt. Two-shot story that may be expanded upon request.

Full Summary: While enjoying a day away from training, Tyson tells Ray that he thinks Draciel is actually a seal as opposed to a turtle. Can he convince his teammate of this? Moreover, what will Kai and Max have to say on this issue?

Hello there, dearies. This is just a little something that I've been working on for a couple of weeks and I thought it was about time I uploaded an actual story here on . Just a few notes before you begin.

=There is no yaoi or lemon in this

=This is set post-G Revolution (Season 3)

=I eat fire for breakfast, so flames are perfectly acceptable XD

=Point out mistakes to me if you see them so they can be fixed

Well, I suppose that's all for now. I'll get started on Chapter Two tonight. ;)

PS: I've admittedly flamed people before too, so don't go easy on me. I want serious criticism if I can get it.

* * *

It had started off as a peculiar morning at the Granger dojo. Kai, the normally strict and stoic team captain of the BBA Revolution, had given his teammates permission to do as they pleased for the day. However, it hadn't exactly been a gesture of kindness on his part. Rather, it had been a way to prepare his team for the intense training that would take place the next day, as they were only two weeks away from competing in yet another high-level beyblading tournament.

Kai, of course, was no slacker. He would still be training, regardless of what his teammates did on their day off. He had left early that morning to get started, placing a sticky note on Tyson's forehead with the exciting news. Kai wasn't about to be shown up by his rival at the next tournament, even though he and Tyson would be on the same team; a tag team, no less. Thought the thought had initially disgusted him, he willed it from his mind and focused on the task at hand: Preparing to make a fool out of Granger at the American tournament.

Max, who had woken at about six that morning just minutes after Kai left, had discovered his captain's note and took off from the dojo after him, hoping to surprise his friend with an early morning challenge. Kai wasn't the first person Max would have liked to be around so early in the morning, but trying to wake Tyson would be like waking the dead, Ray's beyblade was under repairs, Kenny was the one repairing Ray's blade, Hilary wasn't at Tyson's place the night before and Daichi... well, no one really wanted to spend time babysitting an obnoxious pre-teen like him.

Daichi, however, was the next one to rise after a "sudden urge" kept him from sleeping any longer. After getting up at seven and reading the note on Tyson's forehead, he took off without telling anyone his whereabouts. It wasn't like anyone really cared about where Daichi was, according to Tyson at least, who had voiced this aloud the week before when Daichi had threatened to run away from home. That, of course, was another story.

Kenny had slithered out of his sleeping bag at approximately 7:15AM, after which he showered, ate breakfast and began repairing and upgrading Ray's Driger. He had to return to his own home to do all of the aforementioned, as he had forgotten to bring spare clothes and beyblade parts with him the night before. As trashed as Ray's blade was, it was likely that Kenny would spend the entire day in his room with his laptop, talking to Dizzi and analyzing data as he tested out his newest set of beyblade modifications. Sure, he'd seen Kai's note back at Tyson's place, but his day off was the perfect opportunity to get his friend's blade back to peak condition and he wasn't about to let it go to waste.

Ray, oddly enough, who was usually up second following Kai, had been second to last to wake at the Granger residence that morning. It was sometime close to eight before he awoke, realizing that the sun was glaring in at him through the windows in the dojo. He sat up suddenly, panicking until he caught sight of Tyson, who had miraculously managed to keep the sticky note attached to his head for something close to five hours. Upon seeing it, Ray was immediately disheartened. Even though he was free to do whatever he wanted for the day, he knew he'd rather be training more than anything. Without his blade though, he would be forced to find something else to help him engage his brain. With a shrug and a sigh, Ray quietly left the dojo and searched the house for something to keep himself occupied. After all, surely Tyson would give him some company after he bothered to wake up.

The time was 10:30AM, now several hours after the rest of the BBA Revolution had risen and parted ways. Tyson stirred lazily at first, rubbing the corners of his eyes with his knuckles. He opened his eyes with a smile, only to close them against the harsh rays coming through his window. Suddenly, his mind clicked.

"OH CRAP! KAI'S GONNA KILL ME!" Tyson shouted as he looked over at the alarm clock near his pallet on the floor and read the time over again in his head.

_"10:30. It's 10:30 and Kai's gonna kill me. This day already sucks!"_

Tyson quickly began to pull on the pair of jeans he'd worn the previous day, muttering to himself and praying that Kai wouldn't make him run laps or something for not waking up on time. He was rushing so fast that it took a minute for him to notice that a small blue sheet of paper had fallen to the floor in front of him. Still worried about his team captain's temper exploding once he went to meet the rest of his team, Tyson picked up the note and skimmed over it. He stopped moving instantly.

"No frickin' way! So, Sourpuss finally decided to give us a day off, huh? WOOT WOO!"

Tyson began running sporadically about the dojo, not caring when he tripped over one of his teammates pallets. This was, after all, a reason to celebrate. Tyson shouted random things and jumped around until Ray walked in on his one-man party.

"You know, Tyson, I was kinda trying to read. What's all the commotion about in here?"

"Oh, Ray." Tyson blushed slightly, now a little embarrassed that his friend had seen him jumping around like an eight-year-old. "Ha, did you see this little note here?" The midnight-haired boy proudly held the blue paper in front of Ray.

The Chinese blader chuckled. "Yeah, I saw it. It was on your forehead when I woke up. That was like, three hours ago."

"Oh really? Huh, guess I didn't notice it."

"Heh, as loud as you were snoring, I doubt you would have notice a wrecking ball smashing through your house." Ray smirked and sat down near Tyson's unmade pallet, placing the book he had been reading down next to his feet.

"Aww, come on, if Kai's not here to dish it out himself, then I don't want anyone else trying to insult me. It's just not the same if it's not comin' from him."

"Yeah, I'm really not that good at being a jerk, am I?"

"Nah, not really. Kai's just got his own special way of putting people down. I think it helps that bruised ego of his."

Ray just laughed. "Look who's talkin'. At least his ego isn't overly-inflated."

"I don't have an overly-inflated ego! I'm just confident in my abilities." Tyson protested, crossing his arms and putting on his best pouty face for Ray.

Ray frowned. "Aww, now don't look at me like that, I'm not trying to choose sides here! Besides, if Kai's not here to argue with you then I'm not gonna be the one to take his place."

"Fine, have it your way." Tyson plopped himself down next to Ray, arms still crossed, a smirk now tugging at the corners of his mouth. "So, where's everyone else at?"

"Dunno. The only one who bothered to leave a note was Kai, and I imagine he's probably still training even if we're not. I mean, it's not like he'll care what we do as long as we stay away from him and don't do anything stupid."

"I can't make any promises there, buddy, but I'd be training right now too if I had an opponent. I wish your blade wasn't so beat up."

"Yeah, me too. It figures; we finally get a day off and I can't find anything to do." Ray let out a defeated sigh.

"Well, weren't ya just reading somethin'?" Tyson asked, peering over to see the cover of Ray's book.

"Yeah, it's just some ghetto-old novel about a romance in Feudal Japan. Your grandpa keeps some odd stuff on that bookshelf of his..."

"Oh no, please don't tell me you took that book from the top shelf!"

"Actually, I didn't, but I _**did**_ look at the top shelf and... Well, I think you probably know what I found." Ray hid his face with his long ebony bangs, cheeks flushed bright red as he recalled the collection of "novels" he'd found on accident. He was sure that he wouldn't be able to live _that_ one down any time soon with Tyson around.

Tyson, more than eager to seize this opportunity, was rolling on the floor laughing at poor Ray. "Haha, you actually found Gramps' magazines, didn't you?"

"Shut up! It's not my fault that your grandpa's a pervert!" Ray continued to blush, but he had to admit, Gramps had pretty good taste. He'd never tell Tyson that, but he was free to think it.

"Aw, that's okay, bud. I found them one time myself." Tyson wiped invisible tears from the corners of his eyes and laid there on the floor of the dojo. "I'm just glad that Gramps likes 'em young." He busted up laughing all over again, leaving Ray to sulk further in his embarrassment.

"How long are you gonna keep this up, Tyson?" Ray whined.

"Eh, I'll let it go for now. Just wait 'til I tell ol' Maxie about this one!" Tyson clapped his hands together with glee.

"Don't even _**think**_ about it."

"Aw, why not? You're not being any fun at all, Ray!"

"It's just embarrassing, okay? "

"Geez, it's not like I'm gonna tell him that you took 'em and stashed 'em somewhere. You need to lighten up a little!"

"Whatever." Ray shifted his sitting position by crossing both his legs and his arms, giving himself a very Kai-like posture. Tyson was tempted to say something about it, but decided he'd teased his friend enough for now.

"So... whadda ya wanna do today, Ray?"

"I dunno. I wanna blade, but Kenny took off with Driger." Ray's brows furrowed and his expression deepened with a frown. "I kinda wish Max and Kai were here. We could've all went to see a movie or something."

"Aw, who needs them anyway? C'mon Ray, we're gonna have a great day by ourselves. I think we should start with breakfast!" Tyson hopped up excitedly from the polished floor of the dojo and extended his hand to Ray. The Chinese blader took it half-heartedly, knowing that breakfast could very easily waste at least an hour or two of his boring day.

The two bladers left the Granger residence in search of a decent restaurant to dine in, but nothing seemed appealing to either male, so they simply decided to go sit down near the bridge that they normally trained at. Much to their surprise, their dual-haired captain and blonde friend were elsewhere, but it didn't stop them from relaxing in the emerald grass and gazing out at the river.

Ray was the first speak. "You know, Ty, we could always go back to your place and grab something to eat if you wanted to. I know I said I wouldn't earlier, but I guess I could still make breakfast for us."

"Nah, I'm not really all that hungry." Tyson, who was lying down in the grass, rolled his head over in Ray's direction. "It's almost lunchtime though, ain't it?"

"Um... lemme check." Ray, who was lying beside Tyson, reached into his white robe of sorts and brought out a scuffed-up pocket watch. "Yeah, it's about noon right now."

"Oh well, we'll get something later. Sorry I can't think of anything for us to do, Ray."

"Ah, don't worry about it." Ray turned his face toward Tyson. "I'll bet that Max and Kai are training right now. I'm so jealous I could scream."

"Heh, if nothin' else, we could always go distract The Chief." Tyson flashed a dazzling grin at Ray, but his friend seemed uninterested in the idea.

"No, better not try that. He'll never get Driger fixed if we go over and bother him. And before you say anything, _**don't**_ suggest to me that we bug Hilary either. That's not fun for anyone."

Granger, for the first time in years, didn't have much to say. He wanted to have a nice day off with Ray, but his raven-haired friend was simply bored with just relaxing. What was his deal anyway? Who wouldn't enjoy having a day off for once? Well, Tyson didn't mind just lounging around, but it was sure difficult to enjoy himself when he knew his companion was unhappy. He just needed something to talk about, something that Ray would really be engaged in. Even though Ray was generally quiet unless angered, he still had a tendency to pry when he was interested in something.

"Hmm... So we can't go bug Hilary, huh?" Tyson began again.

"No way, I'm not in the mood to hear her _**screaming **_at us."

"Well that's okay," Tyson rolled up off the grass into a partial sitting position. "I've got something else that you can help me with."

"Oh yeah?" Ray followed Tyson's example and sat up. "Like what?"

"Well," Tyson looked around suspiciously, checking all over for unseen ears and turned back to Ray. "There's something that I kinda need your help figuring out. You see, I've had this _**really**_ suspicious idea for a while now, but I need a second opinion."

"Yeah? Well out with it!"

"Okay, the thing is... I wanna figure out what Maxie's bit-beast _**really **_is."

Ray stared at his less-than-intelligent friend for a moment. Had he really said that?

"You're kidding."

"Nuh-uh, I'm dead serious! Really think about it for a minute, Ray. Dra_**ciel**_, right? Doesn't that imply that Draciel actually _**is**_ a seal?"

"Tyson, are you smoking something I don't know about?" Ray raised a curiously high eyebrow at his teammate.

Tyson laughed. "No, I'm not smoking anything; I'm just confused is all."

"Well there's no need to be. Obviously Draciel is a turtle."

"Then why the heck is he named Draciel?"

"Because he... He just is, okay? Seriously, he looks like a turtle and acts like a turtle. That's all the proof you need."

"Draciel does not _**act**_ like a turtle!"

"Yes he does."

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

"You don't even know what turtles act like!"

"So what? I don't have to know what they act like to tell you that Draciel _**is**_ one."

"Oh yeah? Prove it." Tyson was standing by this point, hands on his hips and a mean scowl on his face. It didn't matter what Draciel looked like; Tyson was convinced that his friend's bit-beast was far from being a turtle. He just had to get Ray to see it from his point of view. The midnight-haired teen actuallyhad a little more evidence to back up his opinion, but not much, and he needed Ray's resources to fizzle out before he could state his claim.

"Alright then, I will." Ray pushed himself up off the ground and took Tyson's hand, dragging him away from the riverside.

"Hey, where're we goin'?"

"Back to your place. I'm gonna show you that Draciel's a turtle."

Ray pulled Tyson along behind him as the two boys ran the way back to the Granger residence. When they entered the doorway to the dojo, both of them were panting heavily, with Tyson on the verge of a heart attack.

"Geezus, Ray, did we really hafta run all the way here? I'm practically dying!"

"Oh you'll live, stop being a drama queen." Ray exited the dojo with Tyson following him and found his way upstairs to where Tyson's room was at.

"Hey, why'd we come up here?"

"Why do you ask so many questions? We're here 'cause I need a piece of paper and a pencil. I'd actually be surprised if you had either, seeing as you never do your homework, but I just thought I'd check anyway." Ray searched the room for Tyson's backpack until he realized that his friend might have the needed materials hidden in his desk. He quickly opened a drawer and snatched the two items out.

Tyson, who was hovering over his Chinese friend, wanted desperately to ask him another question, but kept his mouth shut.

"Alright, Ty, here's where I prove your theory wrong." Ray plopped himself on the wooden floor and pulled Tyson down beside him. "I guess you're wondering what I'm gonna do with this paper and pencil, right? Well, I'm gonna draw you a picture of Draciel. His appearance is... well, he kinda looks like an even _**more **_mutated version of a TMNT, so that's what I'm gonna shoot for." With unexpected grace and confidence, Ray put the tip of the pencil to the blank sheet before him and began bringing Draciel to life.

Tyson watched in awe as his friend drew the absolute _**coolest **_version of Draciel that he'd ever seen. The shading was perfect, the lines were solid and bold and the details on him were almost exactly as they were on Max's bit-beast. Tyson was stunned.

"Wow, I never knew you were such a good artist, Ray!" Tyson grinned as he watched Ray draw lines on Draciel's tail. "I guess you Chinese really can do anything, huh?"

Ray paused, giving Tyson a mock dirty look. "Just you wait until I get Driger back. You're in for it then," he stated with a cocky and playful tone. Tyson laughed and leaned against the side of his bed, waiting patiently on his teammate to finish his picture. After a good fifteen minutes or so, Ray dropped the pencil and wiped a few beads of sweat off his forehead. "There. It's finished."

"Oooh, lemme see, lemme see!" Tyson sat up and swiped the picture off the floor, studying it with intense interest. "Wow, it's beautiful! We gotta show this to Maxie!"

"Hold on a sec, that's not why I drew this." Ray took the picture back from Tyson and held it in front of his face. "Have you forgotten why this even exists right now?"

"Hmm... Oh yeah! You know, this really doesn't change my mind about anything though. Yeah, I know he _**looks**_ like a turtle, but like I said, he doesn't _**act**_ like one."

"Tyson, you're being stupid. Seriously, what in the world makes you think that Draciel isn't a turtle?"

"Because he acts like a seal! Turtles don't live in water, Ray, they live on land!"

"_**Sea**_ turtles live in water."

Tyson glared at Ray and prepared to shout, but held back. "I know that, Ray, but Draciel isn't built like a sea turtle. He's got solid feet and arms."

"It's not like we're talking about actual animals here, Ty, we're talking about bit-beasts."

"Duh! Look, maybe there's still a way for me to prove my point. C'mon Ray." Tyson yanked his friend off the floor and dashed down the stairs. Ray did his best to fold the picture he'd drawn and stuffed it in his pocket.

"Whoa! Wait a minute, where are we headed to?"

"To get a second, and maybe even a third opinion. We're gonna find Kai and Max and we're gonna do it now."

Before Ray could even begin to protest, Tyson clamped a hand over the other blader's mouth and they were out the door again.

* * *

Sorry about not having the page breaks the first time around. My bad. R&R if it suits you, I won't hold you to it.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello again, dearies! Well, I finally finished this chapter after debating over whether or not to expand it. I decided that I will simply add a third chapter to this story as a conclusion. Some notes before you read:

=Any review will be accepted gracefully and evaluated.

=If any typos are found while reading, **PLEASE INFORM ME!**

=There are no definite pairings in this story, only what you interpret the interactions to be.

=If you have an idea for this story, tell me about it. I'd love some input from my readers/reviewers. ^-^

Okay, on with the story. Sorry I made you guys wait so long. ;)

The beydish was smoldering, emanating the familiar aroma of a well-fought beyblade battle as two competitors collected their weapons. The pitiful metal bowl, which had served as an arena, was lacerated from the intensity of the match previously fought in it. The battleground was still as two expert beybladers recollected their breath, each of whom looked extremely exhausted. This left one blader pleased while another frowned with dissatisfaction.

"Wow! That was an awesome battle, Kai!" Max, the second youngest member of the BBA Revolution, breathed heavily from the strain of his match with his eldest teammate.

"Hn. Not awesome enough." Kai snatched his Dranzer from the rugged beydish and reattached it to his launcher. "Let's go again."

"Aw, do we have to?" Max whined. "You already beat me twice today."

"Maybe so, but something just doesn't feel right. I don't think Dranzer was battling at full power."

"Oh yeah?" Max cocked his head to the side. "Do you think something's wrong with your blade?"

"No." Kai's eyes scanned over his surroundings, frowning all the while. "Maybe she senses that Tyson's about to do something stupid. She was fine a few minutes ago."

Max laughed. "Are you sure it's not just _you_?"

Kai bit his bottom lip thoughtfully. "No, I feel pretty positive about this one. I'm probably being paranoid, but I can't shake this feeling."

"Well, do you want me to check out your blade just in case? "

"I don't think it's the blade."

"C'mon Kai, please? I need a chance to rest for a minute anyway."

"You should've thought about that before you made the decision to follow me out this morning. Surely you knew what you'd be in for."

Max put his most adorable pouting face on for Kai, who proceeded to roll his eyes. "Please?"

A defeated growl escaped the captain's mouth. "Whatever, just hurry up with it."

Kai tossed his blade to Max and sat down in front of a nearby tree, leaning his back up against it with an impatient sigh. He felt oddly disconcerted knowing that Dranzer was behaving abnormally and over half of his team was elsewhere. It left him anxious, as though he could literally predict that something bad, or at least unexpected, would occur later on. He looked up into the sky, watching curiously for a few seconds as the sun shifted into a midday position. Suddenly, he heard...

"HEY! THERE THEY ARE!"

_'Dammit, how did he find us?' _Kai scowled at the familiar figure of Tyson running towards the practice area with Ray trailing behind him. The stoic captain stood quickly to brush himself off and greet his other teammates. _'Well, I suppose it's better if they're here. At least I can be assured that Tyson won't make an ass out of himself in front of others.'_

"So, what are you guys doing all the way out here? Tryin' to hide from us, Kai?" Tyson said with a smirk.

"Can it, moron. If you must know, Max and I were trying to get some serious training done on our day off. Unlike you, who probably slept in until noon?"

"Hey, gimme a little credit, will ya? I got up at ten-thirty!"

"Aw, would you like a sticker for your accomplishment?"

"You're such a douche!"

"Both of you knock it off." Ray said with a dismissive voice. He came closer to the two conflicting males and put a reassuring hand on each of their shoulders. "I'm not gonna tolerate you two fighting today. This is supposed to be a day for us to relax and recuperate, remember?"

"Aw, c'mon Ray, don't be a wet blanket. You know I live to annoy Kai!"

"Not for much longer." Kai jerked out of Ray's holding position and lunged for Tyson, who mimicked his action and did the same. Both appeared ready to throw punches until a short red-haired boy stepped between the two rivals.

"What the—Daichi! Get out of the way! Can't you see that Kai and I are busy here?" Tyson cried out.

"What I can see is that you two idiots are about to pummel each other. You know, as funny as it'd be to watch Kai beat you to a pulp, we all need to be ready to get back to training tomorrow. So no fightin', got it?" Daichi looked up at the males towering over him and gave each one a stern look, which made Tyson burst into a fit of giggles and Kai roll his eyes.

"Ha, you look _real_ intimidating there, Daichi. Fine, we'll knock it off, but you know Kai and I are just kiddin' around, right?"

"Doesn't matter; you guys should still listen to Ray," Daichi, who had been standing between Kai and Tyson with his arms crossed, lowered them as his teammates back away from one another. He pointed an accusing finger at Tyson. "Besides, if anyone gets to kick your butt for real, it's gonna be me! Tell your second-rate rival over there to back off, 'cause I'm the only match for you, Tyson!"

"He just _had_ to put his two cents in there, didn't he..." Ray grumbled to himself.

"I'd watch your words, midget." Kai hissed, plowing his trademark glare into Daichi. "And where did you crawl out of anyway? I haven't seen you since this morning."

"Oh, well I was just...well..."

"Tch, yeah, that's what I thought. I'd bet my new attack ring that you haven't done a damn bit of training yet today. Probably hangin' around that little pink haired chick again, huh?"

Daichi blushed madly and got up in Kai's face. "Oh yeah? How the heck do you know about Minori anyway, Kai? Stalkin' people again, huh?"

"Hn, get real. I don't care enough about your personal life to waste time stalking you."

"Then why'd you bring her up?"

"I don't owe you an explanation."

"Urgh, you make me so mad, Kai! You're almost as irritating as Tyson!"

"Hey, keep me outta this!" Tyson protested, but his remark was quickly retaliated.

"Shut up, Tyson. The whole reason this argument started is because you had the notion to come find Max and I." Kai growled.

Daichi cut in as soon as Kai finished. "Kai's right; this was your guy's fight 'til I got here. I was just tryin' to get you two to calm down and then all of a sudden, the attention's on me. It doesn't matter what I was doing earlier!"

"You're right. Actually, it _doesn't_ matter what you were doing earlier. No one cares. However, I do want to know what _you_ were doing, Tyson." Kai spat his teammates' name out hatefully and pushed Daichi out of the way and onto the ground, making Max gasp and Ray rush to his side. "I don't like that smug little look you have on your face. In fact, you've had that look since the moment you showed up here. What have you done this time?"

"Hey, I haven't done anything dumb if that's what you're thinking," The look Kai gave Tyson told him that his captain was slightly relieved. "Actually, Ray and I've been doing something productive today."

A muttered "Don't bet on that," came from Ray, who was standing next to Max and Daichi with a sour expression. He appeared to be glaring at Tyson while his vertically-challenged teammate glared at Kai. Max seemed indifferent and a little confused, but decided it was best to keep his mouth shut. Kai made a mental note of his audience and gave Tyson a haughty grin.

"So, you've done something productive, hm?"

"Yeah! In fact, that's why Ray and I came to find you guys. We've...kinda got a question for you and Maxie. And Daichi, too, if he has an opinion on it."

"And your question is?"

"Well...Ray, do you wanna ask 'em?"

"Not really." Ray folded his arms across his chest and frowned. "I still think I'm right, regardless of what either one says."

"And so do I. Okay, guys, gimme your honest opinion. What is Draciel? Is he a turtle or a seal?"

As soon as the question was asked, a sly look was exchanged between Kai and Max. Daichi, who was still standing next to Ray, looked over at Kai and beamed ear to ear. The three males in question burst into fits of laughter.

Kai snorted. "Well, you were right, Tyson, you certainly weren't doing anything dumb while we were gone."

"Oh wow, are you for real, Tyson? That's the funniest thing I've heard outta you in a long time." Daichi wiped the tiny tears that formed at the corners of his eyes.

Ray flashed a triumphant grin at Tyson. "Told ya so."

"Hey, c'mon guys, you haven't even gotten to hear my side of the argument yet! And they never said you were right, Ray. They don't even know which one of us said he's a seal and which one said he's a turtle."

"Oh, I think we both have a pretty good idea of who said what." Kai sneered. "But enlighten me anyway. Which one of you honestly thinks Draciel is a seal?"

Tyson, now feeling somewhat foolish, raised his hand meekly.

"That's what I thought."

"Hey, wait just a minute, you guys," Maxie smiled and draped an arm over Tyson's shoulders. "Don't give Tyson too much grief; he's actually on the right track."

"No way. How is that possible?" Ray cocked his head sideways and gazed at both Max and Tyson. Tyson had a cunning smile plastered to his face while Max simply looked content.

"And if that's really true, then why were you laughing?" Kai eyed Max, who gave him a small shrug.

"I dunno, I guess it's just funny that someone finally had the guts to ask about Draciel. Ray, Tyson, both of you are right. Draciel's actually a turtle _and_ a seal."

"Oh really now," Kai came closer to Max and flashed his cockiest grin. "Then prove it."

"Okay, I will. C'mon, we need make a quick run to Tyson's place. I'll show all of you exactly what I'm talking about."

"Must we really?" Kai raised an eyebrow at his younger teammate. "Why can't you show us your demonstration here?"

"Well, you'll just have to wait to find that one out, Kai." Max replied with a cheeky grin. "Let's go, guys."


	3. Chapter 3

Okay guys, here's the long-awaited (not really) chapter three. REALLY sorry about making you all wait so long. Enjoy.

* * *

The sun peered down lackadaisically at the G Revs as they stormed their way back into the Granger dojo. The group of misfits had been arguing non-stop ever since leaving the training site where Kai and Max had been enjoying their pleasant morning practicing for the upcoming tournament. Max, however, was the only one of the five who had kept his mouth shut on the way back, not feeling bothered in the slightest by the bickering behind him. No, he wasn't the type to get involved with nonsense, especially since none of the other misguided bladers following him really knew what they were talking about. The discussion, of course, was strictly about Draciel and his true roots of origin. But only Maxie himself knew the truth, and with that knowledge in mind, he continued to smile as he devised a plan to share his knowledge with his fellow friends and rivals.

"-Got a point, I mean, psh, yeah, Tyson's an idiot, but-"

"-My thoughts exactly, which only proves that he doesn't know shi-"

"-hat's crap, he's not a fucking seal! How many times do I gotta say-"

"-Shut up, Ray! Since when do I ever not know what I'm talkin' about?"

Max had been grinning like mad the entire way back to the dojo, listening to the symphony behind him with little interest, only catching bits and pieces of everyone's thoughts on the subject. It appeared that perhaps Tyson had swayed Daichi in his direction, but Ray remained adamant, and Kai was just fed up with the stupidity of the situation altogether. The blond blader couldn't help but snicker to himself as he slid the doors to the dojo open, leaving them open for his teammates to file in behind him. While the quartet continued to quarrel as they entered the bamboo-covered room, Max slipped out silently into the rest of the house, working his way upstairs to Tyson's bedroom.

Without drawing a bit of attention to himself, he cautiously cracked the door open, looking inside apprehensively. Max, who was quite the neat-freak, nearly shat his pants when he discovered the ruin that was his best friend's room. Discarded items lay strewn about, such as dirty clothes, clean clothes, old wrappers, spare beyblade parts, and a few other things that made poor Max cringe in fright. Deciding to suck it up though, he gave a disdainful look to the floor and closed his eyes, digging around blindly to find what was undoubtedly buried somewhere beneath the rubble. When his hand finally latched onto an odd-feeling object, he knew he'd found his prize. Smiling and opening his eyes, he brought the object to eye-level and folded it neatly, making it fit like a glove in his back pocket. Without another thought, he bounded down the stairs, his gorgeous blue eyes shimmering with delight.

He was promptly greeted by what appeared to be Ray and Tyson tackling one another at the bottom of the stairwell, with Ray pinning Tyson down and Daichi yelling behind the two dark-haired bladers. Kai, doing what Kai does best, stayed out of it until his name was mentioned by the loud-mouthed ginger, who was immediately slapped in the back of the head, causing yet another argument amongst the group of them. The commotion was so loud that none of them had even noticed Max's arrival until he took hold of the launcher at his hip and shot his blade out onto the wooden floor between his teammates. All conversation ceased as Max's blade ran quick, shifty patterns around their feet, doing figure eights, flips, and other bouncing motions that mesmerized his long-time friends. Without saying a word, Draciel led the quarrelling team back through the dojo and the sliding doors, dancing almost as it swayed out into the yard, onto the sidewalk, and down the street.

A few skeptical whispers were exchanged, as well as looks of confusion, but the group remained quiet until brought to a familiar, well-loved destination. The riverside.

Draciel stopped shifting about and stabilized itself just an inch or so away from the fast-flowing river, earning loud protests and fearful comments from all but Max. After all, Max had done this far too many times to worry. Draciel wasn't headed anywhere Max didn't want him to go. Whether it be work or play, Draciel would be at his master's side, obeying his commands.

It was time for Max to prove his point.

The hot-headed group of bladers all silenced once more as Max turned to face them, holding up a palm in response to their worried advice about his blade being too close to the river and whatnot. The only sound that could then be heard came from the gush of the river and Draciel's gears churning behind his partner's feet, digging ferociously into the dirt as the metal top began to pick up speed.

"So," The blond began, "You want to know whether Draciel is a turtle or a seal, right? I think I'll let him do the talking."

A peal of thunder erupted behind him and with an outburst of light, Draciel emerged from the blade, towering over his partner with a mighty roar that reverberated through the skinny teen's chest like the ring of a sledgehammer, stilling his body and calming his mind.

"Have you guys ever heard of walking on water? Well, guess what? I'm the first person in the world who can say he's bladed on it." Max turned his back on his friends and watched his blade slice through the rough current of the river, creating a whirlpool as it centered itself in the middle. The tip of the blade, which was wider than most and rounded well for the purpose of holding its ground, grazed the surface ever so lightly, making contact with the water in short milliseconds continuously as it bobbed up and down.

Up and down, much like a...

Max pulled the folded object from his back pocket and shook it out, revealing it to be a simple beach ball. He put his lips to it and exhaled deeply, repeating the process a few times until the surface was firm and resistant. He squeezed it once and turned his head with a shit-eating grin.

"While you guys run yourselves and your bit-beasts into the ground with training and blade technique, Draciel and I have been coming up with some new tricks of our own, and we actually have fun doing it," Max faced Draciel and shouted up to him, "Alright Draciel, let's give 'em a show!"

With another loud, heart-bursting roar, the mutated creature leaped into the air, bounding nearly thirty feet before coming down with such force, such weight, that none of the G Revs could retreat in time to avoid being knocked flat on their asses. The impact in the river shot water in all directions with the tenaciousness of a fire hose, earning all five bladers a completely soaked pair of clothes and mouths full of dirt, water, and defeat. When they recovered enough to see again, having wiped all the water from their faces and each coughing their lungs out, four pair of eyes fixed themselves on the mighty creature before them.

Playing with a fucking beach ball.

Max stood quickly and stripped off his shirt and shoes, diving straight into the clear water and surfacing to catch the ball, hitting it back in Draciel's direction as the bit-beast made barking sounds, much like an actual seal would make. Max waved toward his friends with a light-hearted, but in-your-face expression as they stood there in awe.

Well, I guess none of them could've expected that, huh?

Max giggled, "See? You're both right! Tyson, Ray, this is what I'm talking about! Draciel and I don't just prepare ourselves for battle. We prepare ourselves for anything, including your arguments! Now stop friggin' bickering and get in the water before the current settles again!"

With a grin beaming the words "Told ya so", Tyson winked at his stunned Chinese friend and also removed his shoes and shirt, running toward the river with arms flailing wildly as he sprang into the air and jumped in the water.

Shooting Ray a side-glance and a "Well, isn't this retarded", Kai followed suit, not joining in as enthusiastically as Tyson, but still deciding to join in the game for reasons forever unknown.

Daichi shrugged. "Well, shit, I'm not gonna be the only loser standin' over here!" He stripped as well and charged into the river with a loud war cry that would have certainly made even Draciel himself proud.

And there stood Ray sopping wet, like a little drenched kitten, taking it all in.

"Well? You just gonna stand there and look pissed or are you gonna join us?"

Ray allowed the sneer to falter as Max smiled at him, eyes wide with mystery and a begging sensation. The tiger merely sighed.

"Fine, so be it," Ray mimicked his friends and found his way into the water as well, soon laughing amongst the group as they were tossed around by Draciel, who had decided to use the bladers as beach balls as well.

The group remained like this for hours, wasting their entire day splashing around like fools with the exception of both Kai and Ray, who had abandoned ship hours before hand to dry. Ray pulled the soggy paper with Draciel drawn on it from his pocket and set it next to him, giving it a chance to recover from the torture it had endured. And looking down upon it, with the pencil lead now smeared across the once finely-drawn features, it appeared that perhaps the picture too had decided to transform into an odd mix between a turtle and a seal. The bold lines now stretched, giving the jagged bit-beast a smooth, solid look, one that easily could have been mistaken for either creature in question.

Several days later, Max sat in his room, looking up from his desk to see the now framed picture hanging above his work area where Draciel, along with dozens of parts, lay. A slow grin graced his pasty, freckled face.

'And they'll never know who was really right, now will they?'

**FIN**


End file.
